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Dead boy in dryer 'playing hide-and-seek'
Sonny Gibson was trapped in the machine for an hour while his family and a police helicopter searched nearby fields for him
The four-year-old died after climbing into a tumble dryer while playing hide-and seek
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- Mum leaves house to go shopping
- Older kids meant to be looking after boy
- Boy gets trapped in dryer, dies
<!-- google_ad_section_start(name=story_introduction, weight=high) --> <!-- // .story-summary-list --> A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy has died after getting trapped in a tumble dryer at his home during a game of hide and seek.
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Sonny Gibson was stuck in the machine for more than an hour as his frantic family and police began a search for him in fields close to his home, <!-- // .story-intro --> <!-- google_ad_section_start(name=story_body, weight=high) -->The Sun But it was only when the hunt moved into the house that his mum Anne Shepherd and a police officer made the grisly discovery. Despite efforts from paramedics the youngster was pronounced dead at the scene today.
It is not known whether the tumble dryer had been going through a cycle or if the small child had suffocated as the oxygen inside ran out. Neighbours paid tribute to "the sweet little lad" as police tried to piece together how the tragedy had happened. Ms Shepherd, who is in her mid-forties, was being comforted by neighbours and was too distraught to speak about the tragic event.
One neighbour, who asked not be named, said that Sonny liked to play hide and seek and was "always trying to give his older brothers and sisters a surprise". It is understood that his mother had gone shopping in the centre of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, some time after 10am (local time) and had left Sonny's elder half-sister and half-brothers to look after him. Police were called to the family's semi-detached home just at about 10.30am after Ms Shepherd could not find Sonny.
An aerial and foot search was conducted. The neighbour said: "I've been told that he was playing hide and seek while the older kids were asleep. "It seems the little lad has climbed into the tumble dryer, somehow managed to shut the door. While the rest of them were dozing on the sofa the poor little mite was trapped inside. "He must have been in there for at least an hour so God only knows what it must have been like.
While he was inside they were sat next door completely oblivious. "It's a terrible way for anyone to go but someone as young as him who was a real lovely lad makes it even more awful." Other neighbours said that Ms Shepherd had recently split from Sonny's father and often left him in the care of her four other children from her previous relationship - Sarah 20, Nathan, 19, Martin, 17, and 15-year-old Luke.
